LATER NEWS FROM ENGLAND.

Press, Volume VII, Issue 801, 24 May 1865, Page 3

LATER NEWS FROM ENGLAND.

Pending the arrival of the English mail, which may be expected this morning, we take a few items of later news than we have yet received, except by telegraph, from the Morning Tost of February 28, a copy of which was brought to Melbourne by the Bangitoto. "We are indebted for our extracts to the Argus. THE BTJTtKING OF THE PALACE AT BBUIfSWICK. We have received details of the sad calamity at Brunswick, on Friday last, by which the palace was nearly destroyed by fire. Tie old palace was burned in 1830, during the disturbances which then took place, and the building which has now met with a like fate was erected to replace it by the reigning Duke. It was one of the handsomest palaces in Germany. ! The fire broke out at eight o'clock, soon after the Court ball—an annual festivity— had commenced. About half-past eight his Highness the Duke proceeded from his apartment to the dancing-Baloon, and a short time afterwards the fire broke out in his IGgbness's study. It was at first thought that the fire was not a serious oae, and by his Highness's wish the ball was not interrupted. Half an hour afterwards it was still thought that the workmen and firemen would master the conflagration, and a great number of those present outside the building cmtertained the hope that the fire would be confined to a few of the apartments. In a short time, however, the smokefoundits way

into the corridors, and even into the ballroom, whilst suddenly the flames burst out of many windows in the right wing of that portion of the palace inhabited by the Duke. The serious nature of the calamity was now unmistakable, and those who but a few minutes before were engaged in the pleasures of the dance, were obliged to leave the palace with but little ceremony. Ladies, in their light ball-dresses and on foot, were conducted by officers and other visitors to the exterior of the building, where they gained their carriages as best they could. The firemen hastened from all directions, but few imagined how far the calamity would extend. There was a want of water, for the small branch of the Oker, which runs behind the palace, was frozen, and in the palace itself there were no water-pipes. Misfortunes also befell the fire-extinguish-ing apparatus. The hose burst, or would not reach far enough, and in a very short time the whole of the right wing of the j palace was a sea of flame. Efforts were made to prevent the fire spreading beyond this I wing; but the fire found its way through the beams under the roof and spread to the centre rotunda. In a short time, the ballroom was in flames. The orchestra and the galleries fell together, and all eyes were turned to the beautiful and noble " Quadriga" (a handsome bronze chariot), the masterpiece of Bietschel and Howald, which high above adorned the centre of the palace. Soon light in all colours was seen to surround the noble work, for the melting copper and other metals gave out blue, violet, and other flames. During this time the fire roared, the heavy beams fell with terrific crash, and the large stones of which the building was composed split with a loud noise as they became half calcined with the glowing heat. And nowthe Quadriga began to slowly sink. It was seen to disappear by degrees, and then suddenly to fall into the midst of the rotunda. This occurred about half-past 11. The colossal group sank majestically, till at last the whole of the roof fell in with it. The fire -did not then extend any further ; but it raged frightfully in the interior of that part of the palace which it had seized upon. The left wing of the palace, which was never thoroughly rebuilt, and for a great portion of the interior, consisting of rough walls, is spared. All the firemen who were in Brunswick and the neighborhood hastened to the scene, and towards 12 o'clock a special train arrived from Hanover with the fire-engine belonging to the Grymnastic j Society at that place. On the next day the fire was still burning, and occasionally flames burst out of the windows; but all danger | of an extension of the calamity was over. Of the right wing of the palace, and the j middle portion, only an empty ruin remains; | and from the fearful progress with which the fire spread after a certain period, but little of the valuable contents of the palace could be saved.

Tall of a Sugae-house.—Edinburgh, Feb. 27.—This afternoon the interior of a sugar refinery, near Edinburgh, fell in consequence of the slipping of one of the pillars on which it was supported. There were four men killed and several injured. The sugar house was eight stories in height. Heavy Railway Compensatiok Case.— A special jury case was occupied to a late hour at the Lord Mayor's Court, on Saturday, in a compensation case, Remington y. The Charing Cross Railway. The property j was at Dowgate hill, and part used as a j billiard-room. Property had greatly "gone up" in the City of London. The jury awarded £30,500 as compensation. Gteeat Eiee or HotrarsniTCii.—The most extensive conflagration that has occurred at the east end of London for a considerable time occurred on Sunday night in the extensive pile of premises belonging to Messrs. Defries and Sons, gas illuminators and glass chandelier merchants, &c, 136, Hounsditch. The premises were six stories high, and contained property valued at many thousand pounds sterling. After some time the fire dropped down the loopholes of the different floors, and reached an immense gas metre fully charged with gas. One of the principals of the firm called out that, unless the gas was immediately turned off, the whole of the premises would be blown into the air, when Conductor Wood jumped from the railings, in Gravel lane, entered *the basement, and happily succeeded in turning off the gas. Under the direction of Captain Shaw, hisj Grace the Duke of Sutherland, Lord Richard Grosvenor, the Hon. Stuart "Wortley, and the other officials of the brigade, and Inspector Oakley, of the | London, Chatham, and Dover Railway Company, with their engine, and Mr.! Matthews, of the firm of Perm and Co., rendered great assistance. The damage done is very serious, amounting, it is thought, to -630,000. Amongst the goods destroyed were some just completed for JErance. The whole of the Bohemian and I German crystals; of which the buildings contained a vast quantity, are supposed to have been also consumed. From the fact of the flames commencing in the top floor, where the pai-afline and other oils were kept, it is presumed that some of the oily rags ignited.

G-KEAT DESTBTJCTIOJr OP TEA BY EIBE. The Moscow Gazette publishes the following letter from Kiakhta, a Russians Customs station on the frontier of China:—"A destructive fire occurred on the 25th December, at Maimatchene, .a Chinese frontier town near this place. Three warehouses, containing 2000 chests of tea, were entirely destroyed. The loss is estimated at 120,000 roubles. The Chinese were thrown into great consternation by the disaster, for which they were altogether unprepared, as no fire had happened there for above twentyfour years. They also have a superstitious notion that to extinguish fire is a sin, and they consequently had no firemen nor engines; but they worked hard in carrying water to the Bussians, who did their utmost in mastering the conflagration, and succeeded in saving about 4000 chests of tea;"